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Losing weight
So while Ryan was sick, all I did eat comfort foods and sit around the hospital room. Needless to say I gained some weight during that time – around 30 pounds. I have always had a problem with my weight. At one point I was doing Weight Watchers and lost over 20 pounds then found out I was pregnant with Deanna. Of course Weight Watchers doesn’t have a pregnancy program so I had to stop it. Then with medical problems, I just didn’t have any energy to concentrate on losing weight and excercising.
I have been inspired by a wonderful friend that has lost a lot of weight recently. So, this morning I did something I haven’t really done in a while – I started walking again. I know I won’t lose a lot of weight this way, but it gets me up and moving. I’m praying that my energy levels get higher and that I feel lots better.
Wish me luck ’cause here I go again with losing weight….
So not good with this now… ;-)
I have promised to post more, but as always, I don’t. It seems that now that Ryan is in remission, it’s just easier to forget about this blog. It was our lifeline to the world for 5 months, and now that he acts like a normal 10-year-old boy, I forget this thing.
Just an update for this school year. In August all the kids started a new elementary school. In a way, this was a good thing for Ryan. It is showing him that while everyone knows him and his story, they were not personally involved with it. So – he is learning while he is a special kid he is not always going to get special treatment. Bryce and Deanna have settled into the new school as well. Both boys wish they were back at the old school, but they have lots of new friends here.
In September, Ryan had his gall bladder removed. I know – how many have heard of a boy having that removed? And while it was being removed, he had another problem stopped (the tumors had pushed his intestines up and they didn’t fall back down). While fixing this, a bruise formed on them and instead of being in the hospital for 24 hours, he was there for 5 days. While there, we meet a 12-year-old boy named Hunter that had just been diagnosed with T-cell lymphoma. Please be in prayer for him and his mother and brother – they have a 2 year road ahead of them.
Also, please pray for Melindy Barrett (and I hope I spelled her name correctly). She is 30-year-old mother of 3 (oldest is Ryan’s age) and she is battling colon cancer. She is doing treatments – so please pray that everything will be fine and her children will have her around for more years.
Xavian Hall (the little baby boy that had a cancerous brain tumor the same time Ryan battled his cancer) just celebrated his second birthday! PRAISE GOD!
Also, in September, I was asked to talk at the Relay for Life Summit meeting here in Jackson, MS (while Ryan was in the hospital). It was hard going there and talking to everyone, but in the end I’m glad I got to go. My speech was from the caregiver’s point of view and after the break, I will post the speech.
No amount of words can express the love that my entire family felt during Ryan’s cancer. I am so thankful for each and every one of you – more than you will know. May God bless you all!
Wonderful news and update – finally
I know – I’m still terrible about updating this blog, but hey, some know that no news is good news.
Both boys are playing baseball this spring and they are having fun at the fields. Ryan is in kid-pitch while Bryce is in coach-pitch. Deanna is just hanging out with me most of the time, but she has said she would like to go back into gymnastics. We’ll have to see about that.
But the best news we’ve had came this morning. We met with the surgery team and next Monday Ryan will be getting his port out. That’s right – the port will be removed Monday, April 12, 2010. PRAISE GOD! This means that the doctors think the cancer won’t be back.
After the appointment at the Cancer Clinic, it was decided to move the port removal to May 3. Next month marks the one year anniversary of Ryan’s last round of chemo, and he will have to get everything ran – LP, bone marrow extraction, scans, echo, the works. Instead of him being put to sleep this month AND next month, we decided to do it all at one time – bone marrow extraction, LP, and port removal. PRAISE GOD! We are so thankful that the port will be out and soon.
Other than that, we’ve been busy with baseball and scouts. Everyone have a blessed day!
A new holiday – “No hospital day”
The title says it all. Ryan came up to me last night saying, “Mom, I have a new holiday for tomorrow.” After asking what it was, he said, “No hospital day.” I had to give him a high-five for that. You see, the date – February 2 – was the night he was admitted into Baptist Hospital for a abdominal CT scan. He had nothing to eat or drink all night long, and he had no qualms about letting me know he was hungry and thirsty. February 3 marks the date we found out he had cancer. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about this week, and I know I shouldn’t be. To look at Ryan now, no one can tell he was a sick little boy. He’s in school and acts like a normal, healthy nine-year-old boy. Of course, people can tell that he has matured faster than most boys his age, but that is because he went through so much last year.
And what did I learn from all of this? That God has His plan for our lives, and no matter what He is with us – guiding us and comforting us when we need it. Why God chose me to be one of his own and why he chose Ryan to go through this I will never know. But one thing is for certain: my faith has grown stronger because God was with us the entire time.
Ryan goes back on February 11 for scans (no LP/Bone Marrow extraction this time). This is part of life now, and I know that we will have to go back for scans and tests for the rest of his life – but God healed him and He will use this story to show His love for the world.
Thank all of you for the prayers and for reading this blog. While going through this, the blog helped voice our concerns and fears while the comments encouraged us everyday. May God bless each and everyone of you!
2010 – off to a great start
Compared to last year, this year is off to a great start. No sickness to report – thank God for that. Ryan had his monthly cancer clinic visit and every thing is great. The doctors are so thrilled with his progress as Ryan doesn’t act like he has ever been sick.
I’m not going to lie to everyone – I’m getting nervous. And I know that I shouldn’t, but I’m human. Around this time last year, Ryan started complaining of headaches. No, he hasn’t been complaining about them this year, but as a mother, I remember what happened last year, and I’m still nervous. The headaches started something I feel that no parent should have to go through – seeing their child fight for their life. I just hope that when February comes around this year, I can be more upbeat and not worry about what is going to happen. Ryan is a healthy, active, normal 9-year-old boy, and I’m so thankful for that.
An update that I haven’t shared on here (I think). Xavian Hall finished all of his chemo last November, and this month he had his central line remember. For more information, go to his website.
More to come later – it’s hard to remember to update this blog as I’m not in the hospital all the time anymore (which is a good thing).
12/26 update
Wow! Where has this year gone? It seems like yesterday I received the news that my father had been diagnosed with dementia. Now we are at the end of the year, and I can tell you, I’m really looking forward 2010.
Just a recap of the year 2009:
1/1/09 – receive word of Dad’s dementia
1/23/09 – receive word that Dad had a massive heart attack and travel to Tennessee that weekend
1/27/09 – Ryan calls from school complaining of a headache and is out from school for the rest of the week
2/2/09 – Ryan is admitted to Baptist Medical Center for a CT scan of his stomach
2/3/09 – we find out Ryan has cancer and begin the three month process of getting rid of it
6/15/09 – Ryan was listed as in remission from cancer
8/10/09 – Ryan started the 4th grade
12/16/09 – Dorris Sullivan (Buddy) passes away after a long battle with his heart
12/21/09 – went to see my Dad and signed for medical power of attorney as the nurses say he is not mentally competent to make decisions
Well – that just about sums up the year. And I didn’t even list everything that happened. After we found out Ryan had cancer, I kept asking if I could wake up tomorrow and it be 2010. And in a few mores days, that will happen. I just pray that 2010 will be a year to remember and for better reasons.
I hope that everyone had a very Merry CHRISTmas and that everyone has a joyous New Year! God bless each and every one of you!
Christmas 2009 – what a way to end the year
Hello everyone. Again I have slacked in my job to update the website, but everything is going great. Ryan is healthy as well as the rest of us. And we all have something to be thankful for this year.
That being said, I received some horrible news today from our home state. My mother’s boyfriend, Doris, had been in poor health for years now. And before anyone asks, he is like a father to me. So much that my heart is breaking for him now. He is in Vanderbilt Hospital on a ventilator and under sedation. My mother says that he isn’t doing well at all. The doctors are going to let him rest today and tomorrow try to get some nutrients into his system to build up strength. The problem now is his kidneys have shutdown. At this point I don’t know if I will be leaving to go and visit or not. I haven’t decided and I will have to wait and see what tomorrow brings.
Please keep him and my mother in your prayers. As I can tell you, the power of prayer is something to behold.
Where does the time go?!?!
I have had every intention of posting a new blog entry every week, but for some reason I seem to forget. Now Troy is going to say that I need to set a reminder on my phone, and this is the only place you will see in black and white that I say he is right. I will try to do better, guys!
Now that I have that out of the way, I can get to the fun stuff: sharing Ryan’s Make-A-Wish and it coming true.
Ryan’s wish was to go on a Disney cruise. So on Friday, November 20, Ryan had a send off party with his class. People from Make-A-Wish and The Woman’s Hospital (his sponsor) were there. He received a goodie bag from Make-A-Wish, and all the boys enjoyed cupcakes as a snack. Then after that Ryan was escorted by “cheerleaders” (as the boys called them) all around the school. Everyone had a blast.
On Tuesday, November 24, we flew to Orlando, Florida to begin Ryan’s wish. We stayed at the airport in the hotel – which was weird but so much fun! The next day we took a bus from Orlando to the Disney Wonder. The first thing the kids wanted to do was swim in the Mickey pool. On Thursday, we woke up and we were in the Bahamas, man! It was great! The best part was the boat ride to the submarine. Our guide was so good – we learned what celebrities owned houses there and some we got to see. Deanna had her hair braided – so for now we call her “Bahama Mama”. (BTW: she doesn’t like the new nickname.) Friday was our day at sea and we got to see the Disney Magic. From what I’m told it is very rare that the sister ships see each other and it was a special treat for us. Saturday we were at the Disney private island called Castaway Cay. We rode bikes on the island and then we snorkeled. We even got to feed and swim with stingrays! Don’t freak out – they were fine to swim with. Even Deanna thought it was cool. That afternoon, Minnie Mouse hosted a special party for all the Make-A-Wish kids. It was so cool. And of course, all good things must come to an end – we came home on Sunday.
That was an over view – more after the break…
The Halloween update
Well, first off, sorry it’s been a month since the last update, but I think we are getting back to normal and staying busy. Ryan and Bryce are playing fall baseball, so on the weekends we are busy. Well – I guess I should say when it’s not raining, it is keeping us busy. We have had a record rainfall this month in Mississippi, and it keeps us from playing ball.
We are back into Cub Scouts, and I didn’t realize how much I missed it until we got back into it. Both boys are busy with scouts and they love it.
All the kids are busy in school as well. This week was Red Ribbon Week (Drug Awareness) and the kids got to wear different things everyday, including getting to wear their Halloween costumes to school yesterday. They also had Halloween parties, so they came home all sugared up and wired. Gotta love those times.
Yesterday, Bryce turned 7. That’s right, my middle child had his birthday, and as a family we went to Gettitown. (It’s like a Chuck E. Cheese’s.) The kids had a blast.
Today, Ryan and Bryce did a 1-mile run at the Flowood YMCA. Bryce finished the race without ever walking (Congrats Bryce!), and Ryan placed 3rd in his age group (Congrats Ryan!). Tonight we are going to our church to have our Fall Festival/Truck-or-Treat. I will take pictures of the kids and post them at a later date.
Everyone have a blessed Halloween day!
A new update…
Not much to report, I’m so happy to say. Considering where we have been this year, I’ll take it. *smile*
Ryan has been suffering from headaches. If he will remember to wear his glasses, I think that will help them out. He only needs them for reading, so I can see why he would forget them. Troy did take him to the doctor yesterday (he had suffered from a headache the week before we found out he had cancer – I was freaking out), and we did find out officially that Ryan’s scan’s in August were clear. PRAISE GOD! The next set of scans should be in November.
The kids are doing great in school. I have seen the progress reports for this nine weeks, and the grades were good. It seems the kids have bounced back into a normal routine, which is great!
I have been tons better since I dumped my concerns on here the last time. Since then, I have started a personal journal that I can go back and read in the years to come. This accomplishes two things: 1 – I have a place to dump my emotions without having everyone worrying about me and 2 – I have a something that when I go back and read later, I can have a great laugh at myself. Sometimes, laughter is the best medicine. *smile* I have also started substitute teaching at the kids school. So far I have had a blast doing this, but a note to myself – make sure to wear more comfortable shoes. HA!
Everyone have a blessed day!